Whenever All Souls Day falls on a Sunday, the following Sunday is the Feast of the Dedication of the Basilica of St. John Lateran. Each of these days in its own way is an invitation to reflect on the meaning of God’s people gathered to be church.

GOSPEL

Seventeen different Gospel passages are presented for our selection. Several of them are simply the accounts of the death and resurrection of Jesus ([#5] Mk 15:33-39; 16:1-6; and [#9] Lk 23:44-49; 24:1-6). More significant, concerning our share in the risen life of Jesus, is the promise and foretaste of the resurrection. In conjunction with his discourse on the eucharist, Jesus assured us that he would raise up those who are truly his own ([#11] Jn 6:37-40). As a prelude to the raising of Lazarus, he affirmed Martha’s faith in the final resurrection in union with him ([#13] Jn 11:17-27), and on the cross he promised paradise to the thief who repented ([#8] Lk 23:33, 39-43). In the raising of the widow’s son ([#6] Lk 7:11-17) and of Lazarus ([#14] Jn 11:32-45), we have not mere words of promise but actual events which embody that promise.

The rest of the Gospel readings speak in some way of the Christian life as it leads to eternal life. The beatitudes ([#1] Mt 5:1-12) give the constitution of the earthly kingdom of God to be fulfilled in eternity. The kingdom demands childlike acceptance, and in Christ the burdens of living his life in this world are light ([#2] Mt 11:25-30). But it is clear that the kingdom as built here and now is imperfect and passing — this is a time of assiduous preparation ([#3] Mt 25:1-13) and watchfulness ([#7] Lk 12:35-40). The kingdom begins now by sharing Jesus’ life, and this is based on recognition of him where he is truly found, in the "least" brothers and sisters ([#4] Mt 25:31-46). Our life in him is nourished here and now by faith in Jesus as the bread of life, and this faith focuses on the eucharist ([#10] Lk 24:13-35 and [#12] Jn 6:51-58). Living in Jesus here and now means union with his death to bring forth the fruit of new life ([#15] Jn 12:23-28), acceptance of him, not merely as pointing the way but as being the Way itself ([#16] Jn 14:1-6), in fulfillment of his prayer for his followers ([#17] Jn 17:24-26).

There is a choice among seven from the Hebrew Scriptures, each of which shows some stage in the development of Jewish thought and faith in afterlife. During most of the time before Christ, only a vague idea of afterlife is found: and "abode of the dead" called Sheol, whose inhabitants had only a shadowy existence. God’s favor or disfavor was understood in terms of the present life only. However, as hard times and tragedies befell the Jewish people, ideas of life beyond this life began to emerge. Isaiah saw this as eternal restoration of the nation — death destroyed and the whole people would live forever ([#4] Is 25:6-9). Jeremiah experienced the almost total destruction of the nation, yet in the day-after-day rising of the sun he saw a sign of hope for renewal ([#5] Lam 3:17-26). Job in the depths of personal tragedy looked to God for vindication ([#1] Job 19:1, 23-27). It was only late (second and first centuries B.C.E.) in wisdom writings that strong ideas of personal immortality began to emerge, especially as a solution to the all-too-apparent injustices of this life ([#2] Wis 3:1-9; and [#3] Wis 4:7-14). This afterlife as comprising both reward for the just and punishment for the wicked ([#6] Dn 12:1-3) and the value of prayer and sacrifice for the dead, as well as faith in a future resurrection of the body ([#7] 2 Mac 12:43-46) put the finishing touches on Jewish revelation and paved the way for Jesus’ teaching.

Eighteen different readings from the non-Gospel Christian Scriptures constitute the field of choice and also give evidence of a development of understanding during the first generations of Christian faith. The apostolic preaching ([#1] Acts 10:34-43) focuses on Christ’s resurrection as the source of forgiveness. Paul’s earliest letter ([#12] 1 Th 4:13-18) addresses the concern that the dead would be excluded from taking part in Christ’s final coming, then expected very soon. Later, writing from prison ([#11] Phil 3:20-21), Paul begins to unfold his teaching that Christ is the pattern for the Christian who will be transformed into his likeness. In Corinthians, Paul envisions Christ as having fought in our name and won victory over death ([#8] 1 Cor 15:20-24, 25-28; and [#9] 15:51-57), and faith in this victory will be the criterion for judgment ([#10] 2 Cor 5:1, 6-10). Romans explores further implications of this union with Christ’s death and resurrection in the Spirit: as source of reconciliation ([#2] Rom 5:5-11; and [#3] 5:17-21), as patterned in the Christian through baptism ([#4] Rom 6:3-9), and fulfilled in the Spirit who makes us heirs with Christ ([#5] Rom 8:14-23) and therefore inseparable from him ([#6] Rom 8:31-35, 37-39). Christ is Lord of all, dead and living ([#7] Rom 14:7-12). At the end of his life, Paul expresses to Timothy his hope in God’s fidelity ([#13] 2 Tim 2:8-13). John sees eternity primarily as the completion of the relationship with God — family life and love in him — that is begun now ([#14] 1 Jn 3:1-2; and [#15] 3:14-16). One brief passage from Revelation ([#16] Rev 14:13) echoes the readings from Hebrew wisdom noted above; another ([#17] 20:11-21:1) looks back to the Daniel reading, while the third ([#18] 21:1-7) displays an exalted view of heaven as the new Jerusalem and the Bride of Christ.

1. How does praying for the dead express our faith that the bonds of relationships formed here are not broken by death?

2. How is Jesus’ death and resurrection the model for our own death and resurrection as his followers?